My horse bites!?

My 16 year old TB gelding Jag acts like he's a 3 year old. He's VERY mouthy in the winter, and it seems to go away for the most part in the spring. He isn't maliciously trying to attack everyone, he just grabs our shirts and occasionally but rarely our skin. I think he's just trying to be playful but I'm not 100% sure. It really needs to stop before a child or someone unaware of his habit walks by him. Mostly it's just annoying. I'm always dodging teeth, literally! He's not afraid of the whip or anything, and past owners had given him quite a few slaps on the nose, and he's absolutely NOT head shy or anything nor will he ever be. He's a tough brute. What can I do to prevent him from biting or at least protect myself from being bitten? Does anyone else's horses turn into a fire breathing dragon in the winter? Lol. Thanks!

My horse bites!?
Then I'd make sure the horse "nipped" on something uncomfortable...like a jalepeno, or a slice of lemon. I've even covered lead ropes, bucket handles, and other things in tabasco sauce.





If your shirt is grabbed, you can quickly rub the lemon slice through his lips, and on his gums. Saying "no" at the same time. Hopefully, he will connect the bitter taste and "no" with putting his mouth on you.





I'd definitely retaliate EVERY time he did that.





EDIT: Momma wolf...wasn't that "Black Gold?"





EDIT #2...Has anyone noticed that we get thumbed down on discipine? *GASP!* No wonder horses are getting dumped and sold because "they" are "unmanageable." Or because they hurt people. *sheesh!*...idiot trolls.
Reply:Bite him back. I realize this sounds crazy but I had a pony just like this, minus the seasonal issue, she used to grab playfully and until I had actually gotten fed up and bit her right on the nose shed never of stopped. This is a BAD BAD BAD habit as youve noticed so speak his language :) Give him a good bite on the nose - watch your nose though bc I can promise you he is going to flinch. And if you dont want to speak his language and bite him back, EVERY time he does it, swiftly and firmly smack him on the nose. He will learn quick. He will associate "negative" with what he is doing and he will stop. Be more firm thats all. Just be sure to warn people all the time for the time being to assure no one gets hurt. He isnt meaning to be mean Iam sure, but youve still got to take absolutle control of this situation.





Good Luck! :)





**Edit**


Yes, please dont lose a limb in the process hahaha Probably a good thing





**EDIT**


In a sense I really agree with Shrimpy (ps-nice name hahaha I like it) bc you need to learn how to estasblish your dominance with him. Check out some ground concepts by Parelli / Lyons. GREAT GREAT stuff. I know first hand.
Reply:The hot potato trick. I found it in a Walter Farley book and it really works. A horse can not stand to have its mouth burned. It cures bitting , but I would seek the advice of a professional horse trainer or your local equine vet.
Reply:Head straight for (I prefer) Join Up or Parelli and establish his place in the herd with relation to humans and particularly you. You'll both learn a good many things and you're relationship will change from the start.





I personally would not bite back, slap, hit or anything similar as it's feeding response and attention. But completely each to their own. One of the problems with the hot potato or biting back approaches is that whether you agree or disagree, you HAVE to time them at the EXACT moment that the horse bites, and if you miss you could end up with real strife when it doesn't associate the pain with the biting.





Back to the previous, doing this while he's young will make your life sooo much easier in the future and prevent many many other problems that could arise if his nature doesn't get passed through!





Good luck :-)
Reply:One cork, one pin,--put the pin or needle all the way into the cork (wine cork is good) leave 1/4" protrudeing, kep the cork in a pill bottle so you don't stick yourself and carry it with you in the horseyard, when your around the TB hold the cork, don't jab at him, but when he starts nudging or mouthing let him "accidently" hit that pin, guaranteed to work after 2-3 experiances of meeting the pin instead of getting to nip. Good luck---remember, whats crueler? some child losing a finger or him getting a little poke?
Reply:Are you spending enough time with him? that could be a main issue
Reply:You can put a goat in his stall to try and settle him down or get you some Cheyenne pepper from the store and when he come to bite you put on some food and give it to him after a few times with the pepper he will stop or you can whip him for a long time and he will stop it I hate to sound cruel but sometimes you have to do it but something has to be done
Reply:If he is not gelded - gelding him will help. If he is, here is what I did with my 5 year old gelding that is very mouthy. When he would bite I would grap his upper lip and pinch it, HARD. He didn't get any pleasure from biting and he doesn't do it so much anymore. Alternatively, I kept a stiff wirebrush handy and when I would know that he was going to bite, I allowed him to bite it instead of me. That helped to slow it down. I still keep on my toes around him and don't completely trust him yet but we're getting there.
Reply:Has he ALWAYS done this? 16 years old--is he stalled all the time? Regardless, it's winter. Does he have hay to eat all the time? If he isn't getting enough roughage in the winter--say you use a complete feed or similar--he might not have enough to do with his mouth. Esp since you say it goes away (for the most part, whatever that means) in the spring, esp if he has turn-out and access to grass in the warmer months. Playful, maybe, if he's locked up and bored. But I doubt it. If his grain ration is more than he needs for a 16 year old, stalled horse, excess energy can sure turn a horse nippy, too.





I'd certainly not recommend hitting, slapping, punching, or using needles and pins on him to stop it. #1, if he isn't getting enough roughage, give him more hay. #2, cut the grain back. WAY back.





#3, if he persists is biting and you have the space and savvy, back him up, fast and hard, if he takes a peck at you. If he nips while you're brushing him, you can let him run into your elbow or something metallic. I know one guy who wrapped a thin sheet of metal around his mid-section, the part of his anatomy the horse went for. He said the first time the horse clanged the metal with his teeth was the last time he tried. Don't know if that would really work or not.





#4 Another thing that tends to work on a mouthy horse is, when he makes a pass at you, take your hands and briskly, briskly! rub his muzzle. Just his muzzle. Sweet-talk him and get after his face, just the muzzle. At first he might think, good deal! but keep it up, keep rubbing, until he wants you to stop. Then keep it up about 10 seconds longer after he's cried Uncle. Every time he wants to put his mouth on you, briskly, briskly! rub his muzzle. It might take a few times, but after that, he'll think it really isn't worth nipping you for. When he turns his head away, pet his neck and go about your business.





This doesn't hurt the horse at all. He's probably wanting attention or food or both. Give him the attention, but not the kind he wants.





Oh, and suspend giving any kinds of treats by hand. He doesn't need them and it will certainly escalate the problem of nipping if he expects them.





Good luck!
Reply:grazing muzzle.....attatch to halter when he is in cross ties and stuff he will snap but won;t touch you!!!


if you keep a squidgy bottle of lemon juice and sqirt his nose when he goes for you.....doesn;t hurt them.....smells funny...feels and tastes funny too
Reply:I wouldn't give this horse hand treats. I have a gelding who used to be just like this. Are you working with him less in the winter? I found that my gelding was much less mouthy when I worked with him consistently and stimulated his brain as well as his body.
Reply:slap him across the soft part of his muzzle every time, if he's agressive you can be agressive. As for fixing it, HOT POTATOE. stick a potatoe in the microwave about a minute and "tempt" him to bite it (stick it under a shirt sleve and let him bite at you without knowing it's not you). It burns their gums, kinda like you biting into a hot potatoe, but biting horses are dangerous and call for drastic measures. They recover quickly and it doesn't make them head shy or any more passive or agressive.
Reply:My horse will do this during Winter but only if you are not paying attention to him.


Make sure that however you decide to deal with it you put up a nice big noticeable sign to warn people that the horse bites, if necessary put a grille up in the top door. I was advised to do this after mine reached out and bit the vet as he was examining another horse. ( Luckily I have an understanding vet although he did cast some doubts as to my horse's pedigree !)
Reply:OK this is going to sound really mean but it works like a charm.....we have 8 saddlebreds and 4 of them were babies when we bought them and you know babies they like to nibble and they don't do it to be mean and we tried everything and eventually they realize that they can get away with it and they WILL start using it against you...deck him right in his kisser i know it sounds mean but it wont hurt him as much as you think....that's what their parents do they either bite them back or kick them....it will show your horse **** that hurts and that your the dominant one!!! trust me try it it works
Reply:Don't be afraid to punish him. After all, if he bit the boss horse in his herd, he'd be bitten and kicked back. I don't care if I get a thumbs down because its true.


I know he's probably bored from being inside in the winter, but its still no excuse for biting, perhaps he needs more exercise or free time in a paddock.
Reply:What I learned to do is when your horse nips you stomp your foot hard a loudly on the ground and make a loud Game buzzer noise or screech "EEEEE!" noise.





Horses have sensative ears so they will not want to do it again. In a heard, this is what would happen and the horse may bite back as well, or kick.





You don't want your horse to fear you though, you want to teach it that biting is not acceptable and as your the master or the herd, he must listen to you. Not fear, listen.





Smacking your horse on the nose or biting him will not make him too happy.
Reply:bite him back.... or as suggested make biting a nasty expereince for him, unless he likes the taste of tabasco sauce
Reply:biting is a real serious problem..I love all animals but some things just should not be tolerated when my colt started this one day he thought he was gonna be sneaky and nip I caught him out of the corner of my eye and my instinct was to deck him closed fist right in his mouth he never tried to bite again and me weighing only 120 at the time did no hurt to him they don't care if you put pepper on stuff or give him a lemon sounds like he might enjoy all the extra attention and would probably ask for more lemon and pepper that is...this same colt I bought buckets of no bite for my barn areas and it has cayenne mixed in it he loved it more....
Reply:Could he be looking for extra food or treats? Would an apple or other treat distract him from biting? Good luck, I've never had that happen.
Reply:Well, every time it tries to bite you, punish it. Id go with a kick to the face or the genitals, that should teach it quickly lol. You couldnt put it over your knee for a spanking lol.


Maybe it's hitting puberty.


But seriously, make sure you punish it properly.
Reply:what u do is get a race whip and when he bite whip him or get a mosle look for some stuff on http://www.craigslist.org/